Trying to stifle her irritation, Martha leaned her head back against the seat and attempted to relax. But the top of the seat was hard and cold and she soon sat up straight again.

She suddenly realized that she was shivering. What a bore! She must be catching cold! But the bus _did_ seem frigid. She could scarcely keep her teeth from chattering.

And now a new vexation caught her attention. In spite of the almost opaque wall of fog, the bus driver was steadily increasing the speed of his vehicle. The bus careened along at a constantly accelerated rate, bumping and lurching and swaying from side to side.

Martha felt a funny little knot of fear and apprehension begin to tighten in her breast. For a block or two she held tight to her seat, stifling an urge to shout at the driver, but finally she could stand it no longer.

"Driver," she called out in a strained voice which didn't sound at all like her own, "you're going much too fast! Won't you please slow down?"

As if in response, and without paying her any other heed, the driver managed a new and positively fearful burst of speed. The bus thundered ahead until the fog seemed to be going by in white streamers of light.

Fighting back rising hysteria, Martha stood up. "Driver! Please! We'll be killed!"

For the first time the driver turned. In the poor light, his face under the visor of his driver's cap looked as blurred and white as the fog outside.

"We're late on the run! We'll never make it!"

He turned back to the wheel. Martha felt deadly fear coil up within her. The man was either drunk or mad and she sensed at once that any further attempt to reason with him would be futile.

Clutching the seat handles, she began stumbling toward the front of the bus. At least she would be near the door, she decided, when--if--something happened.

Once a sudden lurch of the bus almost threw her off her feet. Clutching the back of a seat, she regained her balance and staggered ahead.

She could no longer force back the panic which was welling within her. She felt--she _knew_--that her life was in imminent and deadly danger.

And when she finally reached the front of the bus and stared ahead into the fog, it was impossible to retain any 

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